I'm Sorry, You Want a What?
by Deeply Regal
Summary: This is the squeal to Is That So, Miss Swan. Set ten years after our favorite family moves to Storybrooke. How will the family deal with their growing sons and the potential of a new addition? I am rating this at M for future sexy times between our two favorite ladies and for language. It's full of OUAT characters but it's mostly SQ. Slightly OOC.
1. Chapter 1

**This is the second part of Is That So, Miss Swan. If you haven't read it, you should probably go do that first. This is set, ten years after the last story ended. We all know that I do not own anything OUAT related. Happy reading!  
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1.

The early morning sun barely licks the pavement under the heel of Emma's thick black boots. As she makes her way down Main Street, her eyes are still half glazed from lack of sleep. Turning the corner up to Granny's diner, she makes her way into the empty restaurant.

"Hey Em you're up pretty early," Ruby called from behind the counter with a broad smile on her face.

"Well, you see, funny story," started the blonde as she slid onto a stool at the bar.

"Wait, wait, is this actually going to be a funny story?" The brunette sat a tall glass of coffee across from the blonde and waited for her reply. When all she received was a sideways glare, Ruby simply smiled. "Not funny then. Alright, lay it on me."

"Do you know where my sons are supposed to be right now?" Emma blurted, a little too emotionally. She was obviously about to get very worked up over whatever was about to come flying from her lips.

"Um... With Killian and the guys on a fishing trip or something, right?"

"In the middle of the freakin ocean."

"Yea, and?"

"Guess who called and woke me up at 6 in the morning."

Ruby's eyes began to narrow, "Killi?"

"Nope."

"Leroy?"

"The Coast Guard."

Tilting her head slightly to the side, Ruby gave the blonde a confused and slightly concerned look.

"Apparently Killian drove them out into a storm last night and while trying to tie something down or something, the idiot got his hand twisted in a rope and it pulled his hand right off."

Shocked, the brunette's eyes were wide as she shook her head. "And this is the man you trust to look after your teenage boys?"

"Funny, right? And it gets better," Emma mumbled over the rim of her glass.

"Better than losing a hand?" Ruby half laughed at her own joke.

"Oh yes, you know our friends. So, when the hand jerking happened, they were all so drunk that no one knew what to do. Luckily Neal got on the radio and called in for help because Killian was well on his way to bleeding out. Robin fainted, like a true queen and when the Coast Guard got there, Leroy got himself arrested because he punched out one of the rescue guys."

"You have got to be kidding me."

"I wish."

Ruby shook her head a bit more before erupting into a bizarre kind of giggle fit while the blonde stared at her, brows high. "I can't even believe that," Ruby choked. "Is Killi okay, I mean, so where are they now?" she asked after calming down.

"Well, I have to go up north and grab Robin and Killian and the boys from the hospital before bailing the other idiots out of jail," Emma sighed. "Killian is okay other than being doped up and missing a hand, I guess."

"Wait, what did Neal do?"

"He allowed my underage sons to get shit faced and in their drunken states, they narced on him."

A roaring laughter shot from the brunette and echoed around the still empty room. "I bet that it was Oliver who cracked."

"Oh, I have no doubt," Emma said as she raked her long hair away from in front of her face. "That kid can't keep a secret for shit when he is about to get in trouble."

"What does your woman think of all this?"

"She doesn't," Emma half whispered before hastily taking a long drink.

"You didn't tell her?!" Ruby looked as if she were going to take a nosedive over the counter. "Em, she is the Mayor, she will find out that you didn't tell her and then there will be hell to pay."

Slowly setting her cup back to the table, Emma's green eyes pierced the brunette like little daggers. "She was already gone when I got the call and it's not like she is going to fire me. Make me sleep in the spare bedroom, probably, but that will be the worst of it."

"I really think you should tell her."

"When did you become so bent on honesty?" Turning slightly to her right, Emma realized that Granny had been standing in the kitchen window listening to their conversation. "Granny," she nodded, instantly regretful of everything that had just been said.

"Good morning, Emma," the older woman smiled, making it obvious that she had heard quite a bit of the conversation.

They shared a very intense stare for less than thirty seconds before the blonde rolled her eyes with an overly dramatic sigh. "Fiiiine," she huffed. "I'll tell her."

"Very well, Dear," Granny smiled triumphantly before disappearing into the kitchen.

"I really hate when she does that," Ruby mumbled. "Like, seriously she just pops up out of nowhere and you have no idea where she came from or how long she has been standing there all creepy and silent." Smoothing the wrinkles in the red apron tied around her waist, she dropped her voice, "anytime there is an attractive guy in here, she does this shit."

"Ruby, you are married."

"Married," she snapped. "Not dead. And besides, he is never around anyway."

"You better shut up, ole wolf ears in there will hear you and then we will both be fucked."

"If only," Ruby sighed joking.

"Oh piss," the blonde laughed as she got to her feet. "Been there done that, got the scars to prove it."

"I wasn't... Never mind."

"Uh huh. Well, on that note, I guess I'm gonna take a trip down to the Mayor's office," Emma said, throwing a five onto the counter. "Wish me luck."

"Good luck Sheriff, you are going to need it."

The blonde shrugged before sliding out the front door and disappearing down the street with a quicker than usual pace. If she didn't hurry and get to the office, she was going to lose her nerve all together.

#

"They did what?!" Regina's voice was low, almost at a growl.

"Now Regina, don't get all worked up, I just-"

"You just what? Wanted to let the Mayor know? Or maybe their mother?" Her face darkened a shade of red every time she passed Emma as she paced the tile floor of her grand office.

"Hey now," Emma said, getting to her feet.

The pacing halted as the blonde rose to eye level. Dark brown and green eyes stood off, a silent war between them. The Mayor's face was harsh, anger danced over her features as she took a step forward, looking down on the blonde.

"Do NOT 'Hey now' me, Miss Swan. Your idiot friends got our underage sons drunk on a boat, half of them are in jail, the other half in the hospital. How much more reckless can they get?"

"It was a ship... and their father-"

"Their father?!" Regina scoffed. "Passed out like a pansy at the first sight of blood. What if it had been Roland or Oliver who was hurt? Did you think about that?!"

"Regina-"

"No," she hissed, turning on her thin, sharp heel. "You are going to get them right now." She stomped over to the door and snatched her jacket from the wooden rack beside it. "_We_ are going. Now."

"There isn't enough room for us all," Emma started in protest.

"There are four of us," Regina said firmly.

"I can't just leave them there Honey, they have no way to get home."

"They can get back the way they came."

"On the ship?" the blonde laughed, "there is no way."

"Then call Gold, get a bus."

"You want me to roll up into that town and collect six people in a school bus?" Emma stared at the brunette in disbelief.

"Just call Gold. I'm sure he would love to know why I have to bail his son out of jail."

"He can bail Neal out himself. I'll see if he will drive that blazer up, it seats six. I'll take the bug up."

"No, we are going in the cruiser. I do not trust that rusty yellow death trap to make it up the road, let alone an hour upstate."

Emma rolled her eyes, she knew that her car was probably the most reliable vehicle in the town but she just didn't have the energy to argue. She simply nodded before she pulled her phone from deep in her pants pocket. After she called Mr. Gold and explained the situation, he agreed to drive his vehicle up as well.

#

Emma and a visibly irritated Regina stood outside Town Hall, waiting from Rumple to pull up. The air was cool again the Mayor's hot cheeks. The women were silent, both staring off in their own respective directions. After a short period of time, Regina let out a deep growl and turned to Emma.

"Look, everyone is fine," the blonde sighed, meeting her partner's eyes.

Regina stood with all her weight on her left leg, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. "Fine for who, exactly?"

"Regina-"

"Stop it," the brunette demanded. "I don't know what planet you think you are on Miss Swan, but on this planet, it is not _fine_ for two teenage boys to be intoxicated on a boat and watching a man have his arm torn off."

Emma parted her lips to speak but was instantly cut off.

"And furthermore, why would they call you and not me? I am their mother and I am the Mayor for Christ sake." Regina's arms slid from around her chest. Her palms sat rigidly on her hips.

"Why are you being so pissy right now? They are _our_ boys and they probably called me because I am the sheriff. I have to get Leroy and Neal and bring them here since they were technically still in Storybrooke."

"They were in the ocean, it technically isn't anywhere but the damn ocean."

"If you don't stop being hateful, I will leave you here. Don't think I won't." Emma raised her brows at the brunette, challenging her to continue her onslaught.

Regina retaliated instantly. A devilish smirk grew across her face. "Do you like being sheriff, because I can change that," she said in true Regina fashion.

"Oh, don't start with me."

"Try me, Miss Swan."

"Stop calling me that. God, after ten years, you think you would-"

"Care that you hate when I call you that?" Regina's smirk turned into a playful smile. "Let me think," she said, tapping her first finger against her pursed lips. "No, Miss Swan, I really don't care."

Emma raised a brow at the woman but said nothing. In front of them on the street, a black sedan pulled up and parked. Within a few seconds, Mr. Gold was out of the vehicle and walking around front of it to meet with the women.

"Ah," Regina clapped her hands. "Mr. Gold, how nice of you to join us."

Rumple rolled his eyes and stopped in front of Emma. He leaned his weight down on the cane that he now used to walk. "Don't start, Regina. I am in no mood for it."

"For what, Dear?"

With his free hand he ran his fingers backward through the front of his hair, leaving the shoulder length strands to fall to the side of his face. "Just don't."

"Alright well," Emma sighed. "Let's head out. Regina and I are going to take the cruiser up, you can follow behind. It will be an hour drive, probably."

"Oh, lovely." Mr. Gold stared down at his feet for a moment and then shook his head. Without another word, he turned and limped back around to the driver's side of his vehicle.

After getting into her police cruiser, Emma turned to her buckled in passenger. "I need you to not bitch at me all the way there, this is not my fault and I need you to not go crazy on the boys when they get in. I know that you are furious at everyone involved but they are probably terrified right now. Be angry at them when they get home. Be happy that they are okay."

Regina scoffed but said nothing. She was quite happy that they were unharmed but she wasn't sure if she was more relieved at her sons' safety or more livid at the fact that their father _and_ two of the men she trusted most had put them in that situation.

#

It was a long, quiet ride to Camden. Once into the city, it took no time at all to find the jailhouse where Neal and Leroy were being kept. Emma went in alone to retrieve the men and sign off on their transfer. Thanks to the smooth talking blonde, surprisingly, no charges were made against either of them. Also to Emma's surprise, neither Leroy nor Neal had a word to say to her as she escorted them out of the building and into Gold's vehicle.

Once she had closed them in and told Rumple where to go next, Emma headed off to her car. She was barely in the seat before Regina started up on her.

"Well, what did they have to say for themselves?"

"They didn't say a word, actually," Emma said, shutting the door.

"I find that hard to believe," Regina huffed. "I hope they realize that when we get back, they have a nice long chat to look forward to."

Emma slammed her hands down on the steering wheel so hard that it made Regina jump. "Look," the blonde spat as she turned to her partner. "They feel bad enough as it is. I know you saw the looks on their faces. They didn't mean for any of this to happen and you know that. Just give them some time to breathe, Regina."

Wide eyed, the brunette stared at the woman. She was shocked to hear such a firm tone come from her lover and it was written across her features. As surprised as she was, the woman could not fight the heat from flaring up in her cheeks.

"Don't you _dare _take that tone with me," Regina hissed through a tight jaw.

"Then stop being like this. Do you know how traumatized everyone is right now? They don't need you rubbing their actions in their faces." Emma turned back to the road and pulled out. The quicker she got the rest of the crew, the quicker she could get back to Storybrooke and away from Regina.

"I can't believe you are taking their side."

"I have no side, Regina. I am Switzerland."

"No, you are France. A big ole passive aggressive, non-confrontational, France."

"What does that make you then?" Emma looked at the brunette from the corner of her eye."Russia?"

At that, the tension broke as they both chuckled. The drive to the hospital was short. When they arrived, they both went in to the building, Gold and the other two behind them. The look on the woman tending the front desk's face told it all. She was obviously very amused.

"So," Emma started as she leaned against the counter, "I am looking for Killian Jones and Robin... Uh." She turned to Regina. "What is Robin's last name now?"

"Loxley," Regina chuckled.

"What, did he change is middle name to _of_?"

"Oh," Regina gasped. "That would be lovely. I am joking, by the way. His lost name is Hood."

"Robin... Hood," Emma choked on the laughter threatening to explode.

"Yes dear and he never changed it."

"Why did I not know that until just now?"

"I don't know. You would think that after living with someone for as long as you have, you would know their last name," Regina said, winking at the blonde.

The stewardess cleared her throat.

"Oh," Emma smiled charmingly, "I'm sorry. It's been a long day."

"I am sure of it," the young woman said without an ounce of emotion. "Those men are in the same room, 454, fourth floor. And I am quite certain the nurses of that floor will be very happy to see Mr. Jones leave. He is an animal." She nodded and looked back down at her keyboard. "He is lucky that those women understand the effect that pain medicine has on a man of that sort."

"Ha," Leroy slid up to the counter, between Emma and Regina. "You should see him on a usual if you think he is bad now, Sister."

Regina put her palm over Leroy's face and pushed him back behind her. "454 you said, dear?"

"Yea. The room is the first door on your left, out of the elevator," the woman said, without looking up.

"Thank you," Emma said softly before ushering everyone to the elevator.

"Did you see the look on her face?" Leroy asked, nudging Emma with his arm as they all packed into the lift.

"Could you blame her though? I mean look at us," the blonde smiled, punching the number 4 on the wall.

"Yea. We look like a living joke."

Regina rolled her eyes and looked down at the balding man. "What ever do you mean?"

"I mean," Leroy laughed. "Look at us. What she saw when we walked in was a blonde in a red leather coat and a badge alongside a pissy looking chick in a dress suit, an old man lookin like a pimp rolling in with a cane, a dude that looks like he robbed a bank or something and with this shiner, I'm looking like a lumberjack who got into a bar fight."

Everyone stared at Leroy in silence.

"Oh come on guys, the Mayor, a cop, a pimp, a robber and a lumberjack all walk into a bar..."

"Shut up Leroy," Emma laughed.

No one else thought it was funny. The door opened and they all peeled out, onto the floor. Once at the door, Emma told everyone to stay in the hallway while she talked to Killian and Robin.

When she stepped into the room, she saw Robin and the boys asleep in one bed and next to them in another was Killian. His arm was hanging in the air above him and was bandaged clear up to his elbow. His hand was obviously missing. She shuddered at the thought of what it looked like under the wrappings.

Slowly, Emma walked over to where the sleeping boys were laying. She rubbed Oliver's back until he opened his eyes. When he saw her, he looked both relieved and afraid.

"Hey kid," she whispered.

He sat up, swinging his legs off the bed. "Emma I can explain," he started quietly.

"Look, we aren't going to do this right now. I'm not mad at you. I'm glad you're all okay but your mama, she is pretty pissed."

Oliver nodded. Beside him, Roland began to stir which woke Robin up. Neither of them said a word.

"Regina and the others are outside the door. You all need to go on out there and be ready for a bitch fest."

A collective groan came from the bed as they all got up and headed out the door. Robin and a now tall, gangly greasy haired Roland made their way out without protest. Oliver, on the other hand, waited for his dad and brother to leave before he turned around and looked down at Emma.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice cracking.

Emma stepped forward and took him into her arms. He was a bit taller than she was but is face instantly fell into where her neck and shoulders met. She could tell by the rigidity of his breathing that he was crying. She ran her fingers through his thick, messy red hair and let him cry it out for a few minutes.

"Ollie, honey, I promise I am not mad at you. I know what it is like to be a 17 year old and trust me, getting shitty on a boat with your guys is far less terrible than what I was doing at that age."

Oliver squeezed the woman's stomach a bit tighter.

Next to them, a grumble alerted them to Killian's consciousness. "Ship, damn you. It was a bloody ship."

"Aaaaand he is awake," Emma chuckled, patting the ginger on the back. "Go on. I have to talk to this idiot before I turn your mama loose on him."

Oliver backed away from the blonde. His eyes were red, his face was splotchy and the very tip of his nose was a light shade of pink. "I am glad you came," he said quietly while rubbing the tears from his eyes.

"Yea, yea. Get yourself cleaned up before you go out there or Roland will never let you live it down and we both know it."

He simply nodded before her disappeared into the connected bathroom on the other side of the room. Emma stood silently, her eyes locked with Killian's as she shook her head in shear disapproval. Only after Oliver came from the bathroom and out of the room did the blonde speak.

"What the hell were you thinking, riding out into a storm?" Her brows were furrowed tightly as she stared at the man. "You could have got everyone killed and you know it."

"Easy Lass," Killian sighed as he sat up in the bed. "I didn't ride out into anything. We got pulled into it."

"How could that be true? It was a storm, not a hurricane."

"It was a storm alright but not like any storm that I have ever seen. The clouds weren't dark or anything. They turned a bizarre pinkish purple color just before they pulled my ship right out of the port. It snapped my ties, Swan."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Killian, you were drunk."

"I bloody well know what I saw and you don't have to believe me you should see my poor ship. She is a wreck," he said, pointing out the window. "and you don't get a storm like that, destroying a ship right off port and not even so much as landing a drop of rain on the shore." He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. "Something is up."

"Jeez Killian, blame it on global warming. Don't go out there talking like that to Regina and Gold, they will have you committed."

"Add it to the list," he grumbled, pulling his arm from the sling. "I have already lost my hand."

"Good thing think you aren't a lefty," Emma smiled as she walked to the door. "I'll send Robin back in here to help you get dressed."

"Aye."

As Emma exited the room, all the chatted in the hall was silenced. She pointed to Robin, who was standing with his back against the far wall. "Go dress him," she said quietly.

He nodded and made his way back to the room. Regina had her hands on her hips and a half snarl on her face. "Did he give a-"

"No, Regina. He is pretty doped up, he isn't making any sense right now."

"Well, I'll tell you right now, these boys are not going anywhere with any of these men for a long time," Regina said firmly as she looked around the hall. "And if I can help it, they will never be getting back on any boat."

Behind the door, Killian moaned loudly before pulling the door open and peaking his head out. "Really," he huffed. "She is a ship."

**Thanks for reading. I will try to update again before the end of the week but, no promises. -DR**


	2. Chapter 2

**So, I totally forgot to upload this. oops. Happy reading!**

"Do you have any idea how angry I am with you two right now?" Regina swung around to face the two young men standing in the middle of the sitting room floor. Oliver looked as if he were going to puke. He stared at the ground between his feet, his pale face obscured slightly by the thick locks of hair that fell to his cheekbones.

Regina knew that Oliver was a good kid. He was an athlete with amazing grades and a huge heart. She knew that he would take the fall for his brother. He would say that he bought the alcohol and even the ship if it meant that Roland wouldn't get in trouble. She never was really sure why he stuck up for his older brother the way he did.

Roland, unlike his brother, was not cowering like a scolded dog. He stood up straight, his chest heaving under his shirt. He faced Regina head up and a tight jaw. She was half expecting a fight.

"I cannot believe that my sons would behave in such a manner."

Robin sat in a chair on the other side of the room. He didn't really have much to say about the situation. Emma on the other hand, was leaning against the doorway and she had plenty to say.

"Look guys, we know that you were just having some fun but right now, having that kind of fun is illegal. I don't blame you so much as I blame the guys you were with. They are _all_ old enough to know better than to let you drink, let alone put you in that situation in the first place," Emma said, more directed at Robin.

"Is this really about us drinking?" Roland asked, squaring his shoulders. "I mean, we had no idea that Killian was going to get his hand destroyed, so you can't blame us for that."

"Mr. Jones is an imbecile," Regina said firmly. "And you will not be seeing him for quite some time."

"Mum, that is not fair," Oliver cried out. "It wasn't his fault that we got pulled into that storm."

"Oliver-"

"Seriously though," he began again. "There is no way that he could have known that was going to happen and there is no way that he could have stopped it. I mean, it just kind of sucked us up and spit us out five miles from port."

Regina eyeballed her youngest and then looked to Emma for some sort of help.

"Kid, that is not logical at all," Emma added.

Roland scoffed. "Of course you don't believe him. You don't ever believe us."

"Excuse me, young man but the last time I believed you, I ended up paying for a paternity test and court costs."

"But it wasn't mine," he shot back.

"You told me that you had never even met that girl, Roland."

He started to snap back at his mother when Robin's voice boomed in from behind him. "Roland, I swear if you do not hold your tongue, I will have it cut from your mouth."

The dark haired boy sucked his teeth but said nothing.

"Regardless of who is mad at whom, and who is to blame for what; you are both in trouble," Emma said calmly. "You are both to come straight home from classes and do your homework and chores. No friends, no dates, no car for you, Oliver."

Emma could see Roland's nostrils begin to flare out. She half expected the boy to lash out at her. Over the past few years, Roland grew closer to Killian and Jefferson and further from her and Regina. He was a strange boy but she knew that he just needed to find himself. His anger problem though, that was something she could do without.

Regina nodded and looked over at Oliver. "You may go to ball practice on the days that it is held and one of us will come to get you. As for you," she directed her attention to Roland. "No television or games until I decide that you deserve them," she said, firmly. "You will go to your classes and be home within the next three fourths of an hour. The University is a half hour drive, which gives you an extra fifteen minutes to dilly dally."

"Alright," Emma sighed as she swept her hair out of her face. "Any questions?"

"What's Papa's punishment then?" Roland hissed. "He is the one who let us drink."

Regina's eyes snapped to Robin's. Fire was dancing behind her eyes as she stared at him. "I will deal with your father."

"Go on up to your rooms," Emma mumbled, breaking the tension.

As the boys took their leave, Roland's heavy steps could be heard throughout the house. He marched up the stairs and slammed his bedroom door. The adult trio had been dead silent, listening for the click that informed them that Oliver too, had went to his room. After that faint click made its way down the stairwell, the boys' parents all looked at each other. Emma made no movement from the doorway.

"Ya know, they were both perfectly safe," Robin sighed.

"Safe for whom? They are underage and you let them drink," Regina glared hard at him, her brow furrowed and lips tight.

"Regina, Darling, Roland is twenty. He is at University for crying out loud."

"As long as Roland lives here, in my house, he will do as I say. If you want to pay for him to live on campus or in an apartment then that is on you."

"He-"

"Robin, dude, look, with Roland's track record, he shouldn't have even been on that ship or out at all," Emma said as she softly shook her head. "What Regina is trying to say is that you, as his father, should avoid putting him in situations where he will think that his actions are acceptable."

"He is a good kid though."

"I know he is, somewhere deep down, he is our little Roland," Regina sighed. "But it is very deep down. I need you to be a positive role model for him, Robin. He is closest to you."

"You really don't want to have to put him in AA meetings before her is out of college," Emma added.

Robin stood up, moving away from his seat. "Maybe he won't grow up to be a menace to society."

Regina gave her ex husband a sarcastic smirk. "He has your genetic code, dear. What were you doing at twenty?"

"Oh you know," he chuckled. "Breaking into houses and getting girls pregnant."

Emma shook her head at the two of them. "Yea," she smiled. "I would say that drinking is the least of our worries."

"At least he will grow out of it," he said as he made his way into the kitchen, through the side door of the sitting room.

"After he gets someone pregnant," Regina added softly.

"Let's not wish that upon ourselves, shall we," Robin called back. "I think we have enough to worry about there."

#

Killian laid his head on the counter top that ran the full length of Granny's dinner, with his handless arm propped up next to him.

Ruby slid a glass of water in front of him. "Does it hurt much?"

"What do you think?" He didn't lift his head to meet the woman's eyes.

"I think that you are very lucky that you only lost your hand," she said calmly. "I am glad that you are okay though."

"Too bad they couldn't find the damn thing and reattach it," he sighed.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean it fell into the bloody ocean when it went flying through the air."

"Oh, that is gross," Ruby said while trying to avoid gagging in front of him.

"Tell me about it."

Behind Killian, the door opened with a distinctive chiming of bells. He still neglected to raise his head from the bar. A few soft footsteps later, a smooth hand ran over his shoulders.

"I heard what happened to you and I am so sorry, Killian," a woman said.

"Better my hand than my head, right?"

"Still, I think it is a horrible thing to happen to you," she said with a shaky voice.

Killian raised his head up and met Belle's misty eyes. "Hey, I'm okay. Everyone is okay."

"Rumple told me that he plans on making you a cuff so that it is less noticeable. He thought maybe it would help you feel better about it."

"Gold said that?" Killian looked at Ruby out of the corner of his eye. She said nothing but she shrugged at him instead.

"He feels awful about the whole thing. He knows that you were trying to cut back on your drinking and had Neal not brought all of that-"

"This is not Neal's fault," Killian cut in.

"Killian,"

"No. I am a grow man and no one makes my choices for me," he said firmly.

"Alright, well," Belle started, looking back at the door. "In two weeks, you can stop by the shop and pick up your gift none the less."

"Thank you Belle, and tell your crocodile that I will be down to see him in a few days," he smiled. "Just to chat."

The older brunette nodded with a smile before patting him on the back and heading out the door.

"Well that was weird," Ruby snorted, once Belle disappeared.

"To say the least."

"I wonder why Gold is actually doing that for you... I bet it is a trick of some sort."

"Well, in a few days, I'm going to go sort this all out. Right now, I need a drink," he sighed.

"Well, water will have to do for now because alcohol is a blood thinner and-"

"Yes Ruby, I am quite aware, thank you," he mumbled as he threw back his glass of cold water. He made the most horrible face as he slammed him glass back to the table.

"What is it? Ruby asked as the man shoved his thumb into his mouth and pressed up on his pallet.

"Brain freeze," he mumbled, hand sticking out of his mouth. He shook his head and started laughing. "You know what the bitch of all this is?"

"Whats that?"

"I wasn't drunk."

#

The next morning, a loud thump pulled Emma from her slumber. At first she laid there listening to Regina's soft breathing beside her. She was just about to doze off again when there was another thump coming from outside their window. Quickly and quietly, the blonde rose from her warm place beside her lover. Looking out of her bedside window, she looked down onto the driveway where all of their collective vehicles sat parked. She watched as Roland walked away from his car and back into the front door.

Once the boy was inside, Emma pulled on a pair over over-sized sweat pants and made her way out of the room. From her bedroom, she could hear him climbing the stairs up to his room. She went out and stood by the corner of the railing, listening.

He didn't see her until he was already on top of her. He jumped at the sight of his guardian but he said nothing. In his arms was a box of books. Emma looked down at the box and back up at harsh features of his face. His jaw was tight, square, with a patch of hair just above his chin and his cheekbones protruded the same way his father's do; soft but still quite visible. He looked down at her. His eyes were dark, darker that she had ever seen them.

"Roland?" She asked, quietly. "What are you doing? It is 6 in the morning."

He slowly broke eye contact to look down at the box in his hands. "I am loading up some books to take up to the library," he said calmly.

Emma looked closely at her son. She noticed the twitching in his forehead, it was the same tick that his father had when he was caught in a lie. "At 6 in the morning? Your classes don't start until 10." She studied the way that the vein in his temple began to rise and fall more quickly.

"Better early than late, right?" He smiled an honest smile and walked toward the front door.

"I guess. It's your sleep cycle," Emma chuckled, opening the door for him.

She waited at the door and watched as the thin, rugged looking boy took the box and set it carefully inside the car door. She could see the other boxes lining the backseat. She knew he was lying but about what, she wasn't sure.

As he walked back up the path to the door, he shoved his hands into his pockets, a sure sign that he was nervous.

"Is something wrong?"

"No," he chuckled awkwardly. "I am just glad to have got all that loaded up. I'm going to go nap before I have to go," he said, passing the blonde on his way to the stairs.

"Okay well, are you going to take Oliver to school?"

"Yea, I can do that before I nap, I guess."

"You don't have to," she started.

"No, it's fine. It will be nice to spend some time with him," he said quietly.

"Going somewhere?" Emma looked at her boy sideways, she had just caught him and she knew it.

"Yea, to class," he laughed, patting her on the arm.

"Ya know," she started after a long, calculating pause. "Your mama didn't mean to be so crazy last night. She is just happy that you are okay."

"Hey, you don't have to defend her. You always were the more understanding one," he smiled. "Papa doesn't even really know how to talk to me anymore, he just kind of lets me be unless I am with Killian and then he acts like he wants to know me."

"Roland, your parents love you," she looked up into his hurting eyes. "They just don't understand you right now but you have to give them the chance."

"They will have their chance," he sighed as he started up the steps. "Distance makes the heart grow fonder right?"

"You don't have to do this, you know that."

"I do know that but right now, I am just a huge problem for everyone."

"No-"

"Emma, the air vent in the sitting room connects to the intake in my bedroom, I heard everything."

"I didn't…"

"It isn't you. I love you. I love them," he sighed. "I just need to do my own thing. I promise I will stay in school and out of trouble."

Emma shook her head and started to speak.

"No, no. I will be fine. Mum will be fine. Just take care of her okay?"

"Just promise me that you will be careful and that it won't be forever," Emma said, half choking on her words.

"I promise," he said, opening his bedroom door. "thanks for being so understanding."

"Don't be like me, Roland," she said as she walked away from the stairs, hot tears burning in her eyes.

#

"Why are there so many boxes in here?" Oliver asked as he slid his backpack into the floor board of his brother's jet black car.

When Roland didn't answer right away, Oliver knew. "Oh," he whispered.

"It will be okay," the oldest assured his brother.

"Yea."

"Seriously Ollie, everything will be fine."

"Except for I'll probably never see you again," the boy snapped, his hair falling in his face.

"That isn't true," Roland said as he drove off down the street.

"Does Mum know?"

"Emma does."

"I'll assume that is a no and that Dad doesn't either then."

"She caught me loading the car."

Oliver stared out the window at nothing in particular as they got closer to where he would be dropped off. A thin stream of air blew on his face through the cracked window. "And she just let you go?"

"I mean, she can't stop me." He sighed. "Emma really gets me, ya know? She knows what it's like to be the outcast."

"Roland, you were never an outcast, you just choose to do all the wrong things and then lie about having done them."

"Look, I know you're mad at me now-"

"I am not mad, I am hurt. Hurt that you would leave us because you can't figure yourself out."

"Hey…"

"No really. What makes someone an outcast?"

After a moment of silence, Roland obviously had no answer for the boy.

"You never realized that you make yourself into what you want other people to see. You are quiet and don't make a lot of friends so, people think you're weird or stuck up. You dress down to not be noticed and you have no one to tell your problems to because you don't think that anyone understands you."

"Oliver-"

"And you don't see that everyone is here for you," the boy's voice got louder as he shook his head. "We are all here for you. I am here for you," he cried out, his voice cracking. After a few deep breaths, Oliver whispered; "but all you see is you, poor, lonely, self made outcast."

Before Roland could mutter off a reply, his very hurt brother jumped from the car and slammed the door. After a few short steps, Oliver turned around. "When you are ready to talk about your life issues," he called back to the car. "You just let me know."

With that, the ginger strode away. Looking up the stairs to the high school, he could see that Grace had been standing at the door and she had seen everything.

Roland drove off. He had no real idea where he was going but he knew that he just had to go somewhere. If nothing else, he just needed a long drive. He could always turn back, if he wanted to.

#

Emma had laid in bed and fought the lump in her throat for what felt like days. She heard Oliver's gentle steps from his bedroom, out the door to his brother's car and she had heard what she could only assume would be the last time she would hear Roland come down the stairs and leave for class. For a while, at least. Regina was still sleeping softly at her right. _What am I going to tell her,_ she thought as listened to her lover's peaceful breathing. Before the blonde could devise a plan, a explanation, she dosed off to sleep. A single stream of moister dried on her cheek.

Downstairs, in the kitchen, Robin half drug himself to the coffee pot. "I hate Mondays," he mumbled as he ran a hand through his too long, greasy, brown hair.

After he prepared the pot, Robin migrated into his personal bathroom and stripped out of his pajamas. He was not quite fond of days like today. Now that his sons were old enough to look after themselves, Robin had found a job doing independent work for the environmental protection agency. It wasn't a hard job; he monitored the old mine and tested the water at the dock and the well, but there was so much paper work.

Robin lived in yet another basement, in the house that he shared with Regina, Emma and the two boys. After the big move to Strorybrooke, Robin filed for divorce. It was his Christmas present to his ladies. It surprised him how excited Regina was about the whole thing but it was more shocking that Emma freaked out as badly as she did. Ten years ago, she wasn't even ready for the idea of marriage. The whole month of January, Emma stayed with David and Mary Margaret at their apartment in town so that she didn't have to talk to Regina about them getting married. It was a strange year for everyone, really. Jefferson and Ruby fought over his new job because it required him to travel, while Killian and Tee went their separate ways over drinking habits and possible cheating. Even Leroy and Nova called it quits. Mr. Gold and Belle seemed to be the only strong ones in town and it probably had something to do with all the money they were raking in, owning the whole town and all. Needless to say, Archie doubled his client list that year.

Robin stood with his back to the pounding water-stream. Mentally making a note of all the people he needed to make appointments with today, he let the hot water beat down on the top of his head. Had there not been a constant flow of water going into his ears, he may have heard Regina frantically calling for him or maybe he would have heard the door open.

A burst of cold air rushed onto his skin as Regina pulled the shower curtain open. His eyes shot open to see a very angry brunette staring at him. "Oh, jesus Regina," he half yelled, water still in his ears.

"Have you seen Roland?"

"What?"

"Roland."

"Not since last night," he said, more quietly, having stepped out of the stream. "Why?"

"I went upstairs to apologize for last night and his room is empty," she said quickly.

"He probably went straight to campus after he dropped Oliver off."

"His room is empty," she said a little louder.

Robin began lathering himself in soap. "What do you mean empty?"

"He left and took the majority of his stuff."

"Oh," he paused, rinsing the suds from his body. "Alright. Give me ten minutes," he said calmly.

Regina just stared at him. Her eyes were dark with anger, dark with fear but she knew that Robin couldn't do anything from the shower so she left him in there. She made her way back to the bedroom that Emma and herself shared. As soon as she walked through the door, she could tell that the blonde was in a deep sleep. Regina stood at the end of the bed and took a few shaky breaths. Once she was composed, she tiptoed over to Emma. As she reached her hand out, the blonde's eyes snapped open.

"Oh," Regina jumped.

"I could feel you watching me. That shit is weird," Emma mumbled as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

The brunette sat on the bed at Emma's feet. Her features were soft she was obviously upset. Emma remembered what happened right away. "Hey," whispered the blonde. "He will be back."

Instantly Regina's face hardened. "You knew?!"

"uh, yea," she said as she sat up. "I caught him loading his car this morning."

"And you didn't think that maybe you should have told me?" Regina was livid.

"You were asleep. Regina, he is a grown man…"

"He is a boy!"

"He is twenty." Emma stayed cool and let Regina get her rage out. She knew that it wouldn't last too long.

"I cannot believe that you would just let him walk out the door. How could you?!" she cried out as she stood from the bed to tower over the blonde.

"I couldn't stop him, he is over the age of eighteen which makes him legally an adult. Did you want me to lock him in his room until David got here to escort him out?"

"You are the sheriff!"

"Which means that I am aware of the laws," she sighed. "Not to mention ya know, my past."

"I cannot even-"

"Yea, I know. It will be okay. I talked to him before he left and he just needs to figure himself out, honey. I promise you, it isn't forever."

Regina threw her weight back down on the bed. As reality set in, tears flowed freely down her makeup-less face. "He is just a baby," she whispered.

"It will be okay," Emma said calmly. She wrapped her arms around Regina's shoulders and held her to her chest. The brunette broke into a sob fest. Her body shook against Emma's chest as she cried out in emotional pain.

Robin could clearly hear the woman's sobbing from the kitchen. He sighed as he poured himself a cup of coffee and took a long drink. He stood in the kitchen dressed only in a pair of blue jeans with his wet hair wrapped in a towel against his scalp. Shaking his head, he set down his mug and walked into their bedroom.

His heart just about shattered when he saw that Regina had crumbled into a heap held together only by Emma's strong arms. Slowly, Robin climbed into the bed and held the brunette from the outside. The three of them laid there for hours, holding each other like today was the last day of their lives.

**This one may have seemed a little rough but it will get better, I promise. -DR**


End file.
